trivia
plural noun
matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
trivia
1 American
[triv-ee-uh]
/ ˈtrɪv i ə /
plural noun
Trivia
2
American
[triv-ee-uh]
/ ˈtrɪv i ə /
noun
trivia
British
/ ˈtrɪvɪə /
noun
Etymology
Origin of trivia1
1900–05; pseudo-Latin trivia (neuter plural), taken as the base of trivial
Origin of Trivia2
First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin, feminine of trivius (adj.), derivative of trivium “place where three roads meet,” equivalent to tri- tri- + -vium, derivative of via “way, road”
Explanation
Can you name the twenty-third vice-president? Do you know all the state birds? If so, you must be good at trivia: facts that are interesting but not necessarily important. Everybody probably knows trivia about something they enjoy. Baseball fans can quote batting averages of their favorite players; movie nuts can tell you exactly what films their favorite actors appeared in and who they played. The game "Trivial Pursuit" is full of questions about facts like that. Why would anyone bother with trivia? Usually, because they love the topic, or maybe they need to know it for their job. One person's trivia is another person's important information.
Vocabulary lists containing trivia
A First Time for Everything
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Doing Time Online
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Not Nothing
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Excitement on a Viking cruise is the trivia game.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
A treat for trivia fans: Which simple stitch is the basis for all other stitches?
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
Something to celebrate, fun trivia to tuck away for later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Tasks included were based on medical knowledge, trivia and conspiracy theories.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
Maybe that is all any life is composed of, trivia that eventually adds up to a person, and maybe I just don’t have enough of it yet to be a whole one.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
Trivia AD, a company that organizes events around “Seinfeld” and other shows in New York and New Jersey, estimates as many as 30,000 people have tested their knowledge of the “show about nothing” since 2008.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Trivia: If Yeoh were to win, she would become the first Asian woman awarded in that category.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
Trivia was a little underwhelming, mostly because the topics were completely unknown to us.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2023
Trivia, the coin of the realm in pop culture writing, is spilled here in abundance.
From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2022
“But what I could use some help on is the Trivia Contest. I’ve been working at it for twenty-five years and never even come close to a ringer.”
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
